‘All doors are…’: Giriraj Singh on Nitish Kumar’s return to NDA

Nitish Kumar quit the ‘Mahagathbandhan’ coalition in 2017 to join forces with the NDA. However, in August last year, he severed ties with the BJP for the second time.

Patna, Bihar: Union Minister Giriraj Singh on Thursday put to rest speculations about former ally Nitish Kumar’s rumored return to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). He said all doors are closed for the Bihar Chief Minister’s return to the saffron crown.

“All doors are closed for Nitish Kumar’s return to the NDA. The person who makes such derogatory comments about women in the Assembly should immediately resign as Chief Minister. Considering his current mental state, he is not fit to hold the post,” Singh told news agency ANI on Thursday.

Giriraj claimed that the Janata Dal (United), the main partner in Bihar’s ruling coalition, will soon cease to exist as Nitish has lost social support.

Invoking the major controversy surrounding the Bihar CM’s much-mocked comments on contraception on the floor of the Assembly during the Winter Session, Singh said a leader in his mental state should resign as chief minister immediately.

Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) is part of the opposition INDIA bloc, which aims to dethrone the BJP-led NDA in next year’s Lok Sabha elections.

‘Nitish Kumar’s days as CM are numbered’

Nitish quit the ‘Mahagathbandhan’ coalition in 2017 to join forces with the NDA. However, in August last year, he broke ties with the BJP for the second time and resigned as Bihar CM. Kumar later formed a new government after joining hands with the RJD and returned as chief minister.

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav took oath as his deputy.

At the JD(U) national executive meeting currently taking place in the national capital, the Union minister claimed that Bihar would soon get a new CM from the JD(U’s ally RJD).

“Nitish Kumar-ji’s days as CM of Bihar are numbered. He would only remain in post for a few more days. Lalu Yadav has made a ‘chakravyu’ (trap) for him. The first step in this ‘chakravyu’ was to make Awadh Bihar the Speaker of the Bihar Assembly. Nitish Kumar will become the former CM very soon. It is decided that Nitish Kumar will no longer remain the CM. In the coming days, Bihar will get a CM from the RJD,” Singh said.

Earlier, the Janata Dal (United) convened meetings of its national executive meeting and national council meeting in Delhi on Friday.

Lalan Singh resigns as JD(U) chief?

The meetings were called by party president Lalan Singh amid speculation that he might resign to make way for Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to take charge of the party again.

Reacting to the reports, JD(U) leader KC Tyagi said, “I reject all such rumours. The party has convened two-day meetings. Today at 4 p.m. there will be a meeting of party functionaries at the office. A national board meeting will be held tomorrow at 11 am at Vithal Bhai Patel House and the national board meeting is scheduled in the second half. Nitish Kumar reached Delhi to participate in this meeting.”

He said the decisions to be made in the case will be announced later.

Earlier in the day, before leaving for the national capital, the Bihar CM said Friday’s meeting is part of the party’s tradition and takes place once a year.

“This is a normal meeting; it takes place once a year. There is nothing special in it,” the Bihar CM said.
Bihar Deputy Prime Minister and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav also debunked rumors of JD(U) president Lalan Singh’s resignation.

“These are all useless talks…Each party is holding its national executive meeting. We also held our party’s national executive meeting in Delhi,” he said.

(With ANI inputs)